The present invention relates to an improved device for administering oxygen therapy and more particularly to an improved nasal mask for use in administering oxygen therapy.
In the prior art, there are many devices used for administering oxygen to a patient. Many of these oxygen masks cover both the nose and mouth of the patient, preventing the patient from performing oral functions while under oxygen therapy.
Also, there are in the prior art many nasal adapters for administering gas to a patient for a variety of purposes. Nasal adapters appear to be primarily directed towards administering anaesthesia.
Those nasal mask designed to administer anaesthesia do not include means for mixing air with a gas to achieve a predetermined percentage of the gas in the air delivered to the patient for breathing.
There are of course oxygen masks designed for masal application but these masks are for the most part, bulky, complex, and heavy and are not adaptable to an ambulatory patient who may require administration of oxygen therapy on a continuous basis such as a patient suffering from emphysema.
Examples of patents showing a prior art nasal anaesthesia administering mask are U.S. Pat. No. 1,189,716 to McKeeson; U.S. Pat. No. 3,889,671 to Baker; U.S. Pat. No. 1,206,045 to Smith; and U.S. Pat. No. 1,486,290 to Littauer.
A prior art patent which shows a nasal mask for delivering oxygen is U.S. Pat. No. 2,241,535 to Boothby, et. al.
All of the prior art which is know to applicants either is designed to by used for a different purpose, that is application of anaesthesia, or is bulky and complex and more expensive than a nasal mask according to applicants' invention.